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8 Feb 2005 : Column 1373W—continued

Departmental Catering

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many departmental (a) canteens and (b) bars there are; and how much has been spent on the (i) running, (ii) staffing and (iii) supply costs of each in each year since 1997. [213614]

Ms Hewitt: The information is as follows:

(a) The Department has a total of two staff restaurants and four cafe style outlets in three buildings.

(b) The Department has no bars serving alcoholic beverages.

Operation of these facilities is through an outside contractor. In 1996–07, the direct cost to the Department was about £325,000 in terms of a subsidy; since June 2000, they have operated on a nil subsidy basis with no direct costs to the Department. Figures for the years between 1997 and 2000 are not available.

Staff Surveys

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual cost of consultants carrying out staff surveys in the Department was since 1997. [213653]

Ms Hewitt: In line with Investors in People good practice for employers, the Department commissions regular opinion surveys of its employees on matters relating to their jobs.

The Department has contracted-out the conducting of its staff survey to external research agencies since 2001–02. Companies are selected via an open competitive tender in line with government procurement rules. Details of costs:

	£000
2001–02	20
2002–03	30
2003–04	39
2004–05	31.5

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of staff surveys in the Department was in each year since 1997. [213670]

 
8 Feb 2005 : Column 1374W
 

Ms Hewitt: In line with Investors in People good practice for employers, the Department commissions regular opinion surveys of its employees on matters relating to their jobs.

The Department began commissioning staff surveys in 1998. In 1998 and 2000, the surveys were conducted in-house, so costs are not available for these years. Costs for subsequent years were:

	£000
2001–02	20
2002–03	30
2003–04	39
2004–05	31.5

VAT Registrations

Mr. Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many VAT registrations there have been in Stoke-on-Trent in each year since 1997. [210864]

Nigel Griffiths: There were 445,000 (revised) business start-up in England and Wales in 2003, a 16 per cent. increase on the year before. A further 396,000 businesses started up in England and Wales in the first nine months of 2004. This represents an increase of 14 per cent. on the first nine months of 2003.

Barclays bank latest survey of business creation includes non-VAT registered firms and shows that there were 445,000 (revised) business start-up in England and Wales in 2003, a 16 per cent. increase on the year before. A further 396,000 businesses started up in England and Wales in the first nine months of 2004. This represents an increase of 14 per cent. on the nine months of 2003. There were 1,100 business start-ups in Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority in 2003 and a further 900 in the first nine months of 2004. Business start-up data is available at http://www.barclays.co.uk/business.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance she plans to issue to the construction industry concerning the application of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive to products used by the construction industry. [214026]

Ms Hewitt: The Government have issued generic guidance on the scope and requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive and remains happy to work with individual sectors on specific points.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what obligations will be placed on business end users discarding their waste electrical and electronic equipment to deliver that equipment to a licensed site where there is no provision for the separate bulking up of the various categories of waste electrical and electronic equipment. [214042]

Ms Hewitt: Equipment covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive and sold on a business to business basis will be the responsibility of the equipment producer at end of life,
 
8 Feb 2005 : Column 1375W
 
unless it was placed on the market before 13 August 2005 and is not being replaced on a like for like basis. In such a case it would become the responsibility of the business user to ensure that it would be treated and recycled in accordance with the Directive, and through the existing Duty of Care legislation.

The Government will be producing practical guidance to producers and business users alike on these obligations.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Tackling Intruders

David Davis: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases have been brought by the Crown Prosecution Service with regard to people tackling intruders in (a) residential properties and (b) retail properties in each year since 1990. [214321]

The Solicitor-General: Prosecution statistics do not record whether a case involved a householder tackling an intruder. However, an informal survey of the 42Crown Prosecution Service areas in December 2004 revealed that there were 11 cases prosecuted in the last 15 years. Of these, six concerned residential properties, two concerned commercial properties, two concerned allotment sheds and one concerned private fishing grounds.

Under-age Alcohol Sales

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service in Devon for supplying alcohol to underaged purchasers in 2004; and if she will make a statement. [213986]

The Solicitor-General: Although, the Crown Prosecution Service in Devon and Cornwall has identified one case brought in Devon for supplying alcohol to underaged purchasers in 2004, which was subsequently discontinued due to insufficient evidence, it is not possible to provide accurate statistics as the information is not recorded centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

WALES

Aircraft Charters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Waleshow much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years. [213693]

Mr. Hain: None

Civil Servants

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost of the enhanced early retirement scheme for civil servants in his Department and its agencies was in each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04 and what the estimated cost will be in each year from 2004–05 to 2007–08; and if he will make a statement. [211645]

 
8 Feb 2005 : Column 1376W
 

Mr. Hain: The Wales Office was established July 1999. No costs have been incurred under the enhanced early retirement scheme for civil servants scheme up to 2003–04, and it is not anticipated that any cost will be incurred under this scheme for 2004–05 to 2007–08.

Publicity

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in(i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B)2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08. [211682]

Mr. Touhig: My Department has run no television, newspaper, radio advertising or any other kind of promotional campaign since its creation in July 1999. It has no agencies or departmental public bodies within its responsibilities. We are not responsible for campaigns that may be run by the National Assembly or other Government Departments in Wales. It is not estimated that this will change in the years referred to.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions departmental Ministers have used the Queen's Flight in each of the past five years. [213448]

Mr. Hain: None.

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